I met Mike Lawrence at an informal event hosted by our mutual real estate broker.

He moved to New York recently from Atlanta to work for Pariveda Solutions, specializing in growth and team-building for tech companies. Mike broke the ice immediately…initiating conversation with every guest, listening attentively to everyone he met, and standing out in the crowd in his trademark pocket square and colorful trousers.

Over the weeks ahead, he introduced me to one of his female colleagues for a “mentoring session,” and we chatted about how tough it could be moving to a new city and working with people who are older and more experienced than they are. They both travel a lot and most of their lives these days is spent around “strangers.” Plus, as we know, millennials often get a bad rap and these two smart young people want to be judged by their work and not their generation.

Mike then  told me that he had started blogging about “breaking the ice” and I invited him to be a regular contributor to sheBOOM. Although we are a community for female founders, we are certainly not gender-biased, and Mike has lots to offer women and men of any age and any stage.

So, welcome our newest volunteer editor — Mike Lawrence (aka the Icebreaker)! You can find his first column tomorrow in our Relationships section.

P.S. If you are a consultant, writer, business owner, or general wise person who loves to write, please contact us about writing for sheBOOM. You just need to follow our editorial guidelines and be willing to allow us to repurpose your content. It’s a great way to build your brand and readership across channels! No compensation, but lots of exposure and sheBOOM love!